magazinesfromthepastfandomcom-20200214-history
ACE Issue 12
ACE issue 12 is dated September 1988 and priced at £1.50 News Giants Get Together: Telecomsoft, Mirrorsoft and Psygnosis to join forces with a 16-bit label called Triad. Spectrum Goes PC-Compatible?!: Are Amstrad about to launch a Spectrum branded PC onto the market? Domark branching out into other areas but still have a new version of Trivial Pursuit and Return of the Jedi on the slate. A visit to Electric Dreams/Activision's offices revealed details on arcade conversions of After Burner, SDI & Time Scanner and a closer look at R-Type on the Spectrum and a new game called Incredible Shrinking Sphere. Mirrorsoft announce new label Image Works with new games: SkyChase, Bombuzal, Mainframe, Speedball, Foxx Fights Back & Fernandez Must Die. Snippets Desert Rats - PC Planetarium - Amiga Nimitz - C64 TT Racer II - Atari ST, PC Vectorball - Amiga Major Motion - Amiga, Atari ST Shoot'em-up Construction Kit - Amiga, Atari ST I Ludicrus - Amiga, Atari ST Coming Attractions Space Racer - Atari ST Vroom - Atari ST Intensity - C64 Overlander - Atari ST Space Harrier - Atari ST Barbarian - C64, Spectrum Emlyn Hughes International Soccer - C64 Gary Lineker's Super Skills - Atari ST Menace - Atari ST, Amiga Features Graphics: PC Painting Deluxe Games Without Frontiers: The past present and future of communication technology and gaming. Hot Houses: Despite the demise of high profile game companies, new ones always crop up. Featuring Big A, Ubisoft and Prism Leisure The Professionals: Part one - Coding Watching the Detectives: Crime Game Feature :Cluedo - Amstrad CPC, C64, Spectrum :Killed Until Dead - Amstrad CPC, C64, Spectrum :Movie - Amstrad CPC, Spectrum :They Stole a Million - Amstrad CPC, C64, Spectrum :The King of Chicago - Amiga :The Fourth Protocol - Amstrad CPC, C64, Spectrum :The Vera Cruz Affair - Amstrad CPC, C64, Spectrum, PC :Robin of Sherlock - Amstrad CPC :Sherlock - C64, Spectrum :Sherlock: The Riddle of the Crown Jewels - C64, PC, Atari ST, Amiga :Suspect :Corruption - Atari ST, PC, Amiga, Spectrum 128, Apple Mac, C64, Amstrad 6128 :The Big Sleaze :Intrigue - C64 :Deja Vu - C64, Atari ST, Amiga, Apple Mac Interview: Vince Clark Reviews 'Arcades' Last Duel :Last Duel's a very standard coin-op - tough good-looking and fun to play. But it offers nothing new and it's doubtful you'll be as addicted to this as you might be to say R-Type or Salamander. Fighting Soccer :The matches don't last long and it's tough to beat some of the better teams - but it's great fun trying. 'Screen Test' 'Comments' Flight Simulator 3.0 - 838 - Andy Wilton :The real challenge is just building up flying expertise on a detailed and accurately modelled simulation and that makes it very much one for the would-be pilots. Gamesplayers can probably have a lot more fun with one of the many combat-orientated games around. Helter Skelter - 856 - Bob Wade :It's hard to appreciate a game like this without actually playing it. It's got that sort of addiction that Breakout games and Bubble Bobble have. Throw in a screen designer and simultaneous two-player action as well and you've got something thats not only wildly addictive but can be kept fresh and interesting for a long time too. Roadblasters - 654 - Rod Lawton :Roadblasters is nothing special graphically, but overall control and playability is good for this type of game. On later levels the gameplay gets quite tough, but not to the point where it becomes unplayable - and with fifty levels to get through you're going to have to be pretty determined to finish it. Fire & Forget - 618 - Rod Lawton :The gameplay is rather two-dimensional, because apart from steering and shooting there's really not much else to do. The graphics will get you playing initially, but once that's worn off there's little to keep you going. SkyChase - 785 - Rod Lawton :Visually SkyChase has limited appeal, but as a combative dogfighting game it has little competition. It's a long way from a proper flight sim, has a minimal game area, no exploration or strategy element and essentially zero gameplay - but actually facing an opponent with BRAINS is arguably worth all of those. Alternate Reality: The City - 749 (Amiga) & 713 (PC) - Rod Lawton :Alternate Reality is tough from the start and complex enough to keep you going for quite some time. If there is a criticism to be levelled against it it's that maybe it's a little hard to get into. Combinr that with some rather repetitive and dingy scenery and you have a game whose presentation is the weakest link. Football Manager 2 - 392 - Andy Smith :Football Manager 2's definately best left to fans of the genre. The match highlights are badly animated, and it's hard to see how any of the extra frills added to F.M.2 make it any better than the original version. The President is Missing - 785 (PC) & 767 (C64) - Bob Wade :The pace is slow, but it's not a game that you'll want to rush - it requires plenty of time and thought to get through. L.A. Crackdown - 713 - Bob Wade :The game is well structured for working through, discovering information and should prove a testing challenge. Better Dead Than Alien - 458 - Bob Wade :The action is all very predictable and adds nothing new to the pack of shoot-em-ups that already exist. Strictly for shoot-em-ups freaks who like a tough, if unexciting challenge. Chubby Gristle - 416 (Amiga), 363 (Amstrad CPC) & 357 (Spectrum) - Rod Lawton :Chubby Gristle is amusing and original, but the game style itself is old, and the game hard enough right from the start to put a lot of people off. And twenty or so screens isn't an awful lot for those who stick with it. Where Time Stood Still - 719 - Andy Smith :The graphics are good, but the 3D perspective is a little confusing to start with. Gameplay's good. Overall an enjoyable game for arcade adventure fans. Night Raider - 773 (Atari ST) & 690 (Spectrum) - Rod Lawton :Purists will find fault with the realism, perfectionists will pick holes in the graphics, but you can bet they'll still want to play it. Hoppin' Mad - 570 (C64), 517 (Amstrad CPC) & 576 (Spectrum) - Rod Lawton :Hopping Mad is original, attractive and really rather fun. It's also addictive enough to keep you coming back again and again until you've cracked it. Giganoid - 666 - Rod Lawton :Initial disinterest at what looks like another Arkanoid clone gives way to grudging respect for the excellent difficulty pacing. Short-term addiction only though. The Fury - 321 - Andy Smith :Sadly The Fury's got very little going for it. The concept's old hat, the graphics are poor and it doesn't take long to get bored with the game. Dream Warrior - 503 - Andy Smith :Dream Warrior's less than involving because the game task is so repetitive, and it soon becomes a chore to play. World Tour Golf - 618 - Bob Wade :It's difficult to master and frustrating at times, but the extra options make it interesting. 'Table' 'Updates' 'Comments' Jet - 684 - Andy Wilton :While not really a bad game, this one falls a long way short of both Sublogic's and the ST's capabilities. Ground attack missions and loadable landscapes are no substitute for realism, responsiveness or believable gameplay. PHM Pegasus - 826 - Andy Smith :What makes PHM Pegasus so much fun is the great gameplay and emphasis on action. Hard core simulation fans fans will probably find the Pegasus far too simplistic but action fans will love it. Gauntlet II - 820 - Bob Wade :It's much more enjoyable to play than its predecessor and with the four-player option there's an added amount of fun. The most comprehensive of the many versions of Gauntlet, even if it is a little late getting to the shelves. Computer Scrabble Deluxe - 785 - Bob Wade :The graphics are the best of the many versions - but that's not saying much. Sound is non-existant. A great word game, well implemented. 'Table' 'Adventure' 'Comments' The Bards Tale III - 920 :BTIII is undoubtedly the best yet and deserves a place on any fantasy gamester's shelf. Wasteland - 921 :I didn't find Wasteland quite so atmospheric as Bard's Tale III but then i'm a traditional spell caster - what I did find compelling was the extra dimension of strategy, which leaves the cut, slash and spell scenario of the BT series well behind. MicroMUD - 852 :Definately worth checking out by anyone not totally addicted to pretty pixels. 'Table' 'Strategy Special' 'Comments' Reach for the Stars - 940 :It's not easy to get straight into but once you get to know your way around you'll be well and truly hooked. Decisive Battles of the American Civil War, Volume II - 830 :The system takes a while to get used to, but is very effective and easy to use after a few games. The ability to create your own scenarios makes for long-term enjoyment. Stalingrad - 765 :Stalingrad plays well and the ordering system is easy to use. The scenario is not the most exciting, but the computer opponent's very strong on the highest level and you'll really have to work to defeat it. Panzer Strike - 795 :Panzer Strike is a spohisticated game that takes time and effort to play well, and unless you're well acquainted with how wargames work, you're better off sticking to something a little less complex. 'Table' Tips Spindizzy - Extra Time - Spectrum, C64 Impossible Mission II - Tips ATF: Advanced Tactical Fighter - Poke - Amstrad CPC The Race Against Time - Map Sundog: Frozen Legacy - Tips - Atari ST Zarch - Cheat - Archimedes Issues Category:Contains PC Reviews Category:Contains Atari ST Reviews Category:Contains C64 Reviews Category:Contains Amiga Reviews Category:Contains Amstrad CPC Reviews Category:Contains Spectrum Reviews